The present invention relates to a tent construction used primarily under mountain weather conditions, as an optimum shelter for persons, such as two, and which can be readily carried by a mountaineer in a backpack. Specifically, the invention tent sets very high, and sometimes new, standards of comfort, convenience, reliability, and lightness in mountaineering and hiking tents carried in a backpack.
The invention tent comprises an outer nonporous layer to eliminate penetration therethrough of rain and moisture. An inner porous layer is provided and disposed in spaced relation to the outer layer providing an air space between the two layers from 1 to 4 inches thick and which air space extends the full length of the tent. The ends of this air space are closed by semiannular shaped end members which extend radially inwardly and angularly from the outer tent layer to the inner porous tent layer. This air space chamber, between the inner and outer tent layers, functions to allow warm, moisture-laden air to rise from within the tent, through the inner porous tent layer and thence longitudinally through the air chamber and thence outwardly through vents in the semiannular end members. Air so leaving the tent is displaced by fresh air drawn from the floor level of the tent, passing around the occupants in the tent, warmed thereby and by possible burning candles in the tent, thence through the inner tent layer, thence through the enclosed air space chamber, and thence out the end portions of the tent. Thus, a chimneylike action takes place and an air circulation in the tent, which promotes an efficient air flow and thus maintains a low, as possible, humidity level in the tent. The insulation value, resulting from the air circulation promoted by the heat of human bodies and at times augmented by burning candles in the tent, is of substantial significance in that minimum temperatures within my tent often show a temperature increase in excess of 10.degree.F. over temperatures existing outside my tent.
Compression support means for the tent comprise a plurality of arched rafters in the form of demountable, substantially, semicircular rods which are preferably formed of fiber glass and which rods are formed of a plurality of relatively short pieces slidably interconnected to form two rod units. These two rod units are interconnected by a sleeve slidably mounted on one unit and which sleeve slidably receives an end portion of another unit. The plurality of substantially semicircular rods are spaced apart and alined substantially parallel to each other and the semicircular rod units progressively decrease in diameter in a longitudinal direction of the tent from the entrance end portion of the tent to the other end portion thereof. The inner tent layer is suspendedly supported by the outer tent layer by strips of porous netting material which do not interfere with air circulation through the air chamber between the inner and and outer tent layers.
At the end portions of the tent, the outer tent layer is under tension by forces at each end thereof, each of which is directed in an opposite and outward direction. All of the forces holding the tent in place are tension forces except the compression forces which act through the tent rod units. All of the heat that is generated in the tent is generated by the human occupants thereof or by the burning of a candle or the like.
By having the tent taper from a door end thereof, both in height and width and with only sufficient space for two persons and gear to be stashed away, minimum air space obtains, so that human body heat and heat from candles are involved in a limited space so that such heat factors will be effective. Additional guy lines are provided to take care of side pressures resulting from wind blowing in a direction transverse of the longitudinal axis of the tent.